David Listens
by DragonBallZcat
Summary: Story starts on the last day of school, from the point of view from David. This centers around interactions between Melinda and David. Spoiler Alert: It has mentions of the secrets of the book; if you have not finished the book, then do not read. Full warnings inside.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello! This is my first published fanfiction, hope I do well! This is David's POV, and Itried to make it similar to the way Speak was written.

Spoiler Alert: If you have not finished the book, I suggest you don't read this, it gives things away :x

Warnings: Mentions of rape, and cursing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Speak, the characters, etc.

The last day of school is always hectic. People shoving each other around, yelling for friends, yearbooks, and graduation.

I, myself am cought up in the midst of people watching. I look for the densest amount of people, which seems to be the courtyard that leads to the buses.

I sit on a stone bench, shaded by a tree, and take out my notebook and pen. I set onto work. I record how many people I see hug, cry, kiss, exchange phone numbers, scribble in yearbooks, and how many people get trampled.

In about 15 minutes, half the crowd is gone, probably to their cars to get away from the buses. I have about 8 minutes until I have to get on my own bus, so I take out my calculator and graph paper, and I graph my findings.

I try to turn on my calculator. Nothing. I try again. Damn, out of power. By the time I fish new ones out of my backpack, I hear the familiar rumble of buses.

Damn! What the fuck. I sigh and bury my face in my hands.

"I guess I'll walk, it's nice out anyways."

I wander around the school once more before I take my leave. The math and science wing, English and history wing, then the foreign language and electives wing.

Electives in this school were cut, and so was teacher pay and supplies. No one is happy about that.

I, of course, take law, like any good future Harvard student SHOULD.

The next thing I know, I end up near the art classrooms. I hear voices coming from the art room, and I go into super-stealth spy mode. I plaster myself to the same wall as the door and listen in.

I recognize one voice, its Melinda's. But she sounds different. Her voice is full of emotion, sadness mostly. I can tell she has been crying.

I slump soundlessly to the floor, I think I'll stay a while and listen. I'll hold off on the notes (for now).

The other voice is an elder male. I'm pretty sure it's the teacher of the classroom, Mr. Freedmen. He's an art teacher. Melinda likes art; she would sketch trees in Biology class, when she should have been paying attention.

Melinda: "I remember being punched, that really hurt. Actually, I was in pain all over. I was scared. Really, really scared. I found the next phone I could and called 911."

Mr. Freedmen: "And then?"  
Melinda: "Somehow Rachel found me, she grabbed the phone, screamed, and ran off. I think she slapped me…. I cant remember. My mind is fuzzy. And after that, the cops came."

Mr. Freedmen: "And have you told anyone you have been raped?"

_Raped? What?_ I don't stay in the 'loop' of things often. I also don't really listen to rumors. I know many people don't like Melinda. Is this why? Do they know her whole story? Do they bother to see all perspective before making assumptions? This is the first time in a while I can't answer my own question. I hear Melinda inhale and exhale deeply, and I strain my ears to listen in carefully.

Melinda: "Not really, you are the first person to hear my whole story. The first time I've tried to tell Rachel who it was that did it, she called me a liar."

Bitch.

Melinda: "She was so in love with Andy she didn't listen to me. She thought I was jealous of her."

Mr. Freedmen: "I see. And I can tell that your home life did not help at all."

Melinda: "Not at all. Mom and Dad fought a lot. Mom is over-stressed at work, and Dad doesn't help with her stress. She thinks 'tough love' was the way to approach me. She didn't have an emotion-filled response when she saw my wrists. Luckily, some of the fighting has eased up, if only for a little while."

I hear her draw a tissue and blow her nose.

Mr. Freedmen: "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

There is about a minute of silence. I deduct that Melinda is trying to think of, or get out, her answer.

Melinda: Because no one would listen. No one would bother to hear what I had to say. Why should they? I was the girl who ruined their party. At least….. at least it's over."

They continued to talk on like this. I check my watch. I've been sitting here for a little bit. It is nothing my mother wouldn't notice. Well, she's at her sister's house today… but never mind.

By the time they start to clean up Melinda's mess from her last art project, I leave, like I was never there.

I check my watch again. They talked for 45 minutes while I was there. I soaked up every word.

I guess I have a lot to think about when I get home.


	2. Chapter 2

All last night, I kept wondering about Melinda. I knew of her before high school, she was a regular girl.

All during high school, she was rather quiet. So quiet, in fact, that she asked for my help to not give an oral presentation in Mr. Neck's class. She wanted the freedom of being quiet, go figure?

This morning I awoke at around 8 a.m. So, I decided to call Melinda. But, she would probably be asleep. I waited until 10 a.m. until I picked up the phone to call her.

And now I'm sitting here, with the phone in one hand, and her number in the other.

Wait, why am I calling again? To ask about her rape? No way. She'll just hang up immediately. Well…. I could bring it up, see how she is doing, all that stuff.

Girls like that, right? This is difficult. I'll just call her and see what I can come up with.

I dialed her number and held the phone to my ear.

One ring. Two rings. Three. Four. Five. The answering machine picks up. I hang up.

Well, she did say she might not answer. I guess I'll try again later. I am relieved, a little upset, and nervous all at the same time. Relieved because she didn't pick up, upset because she didn't pick up, and nervous because I have to try again later.

Well, now it is summer vacation. I am so used to studying all the time that I had, and now since its summer, I have no work due. Now what?

You know what, I think I'll try Melinda again. I have nothing better to do and my parents are at work.

Anyways. I pick up the phone and dial her number again.

Three rings, and someone picks up. I hear a tired female voice.

Voice: "Hello?"

Me: "Um, hello. Is this Melinda?"

Melinda: "Yeah. Who is this?"

Me: "Its David. Your lab partner…?"

Melinda: "Oh. Yeah, you."

Me: "So, I was calling because I heard of what, well you know, that guy did to you… and stuff… and I was, uh, wondering if you were okay, maybe?"

_Smooth. Real smooth._

Melinda: [sighs] "I'm doing better. Better than I was."

_Wow this is really awkward. I'm not so used to talking to girls, but it cant be different from math, right?_

…_.Right?_

Me: "Well, that's good."

Melinda: "Yeah….."

_Awkward silence. So much silence. This is so nerve wracking. And she isn't even in front of me._

Me: "…."

Melinda: "…."

Me: "….."

Melinda: "….."

Me: "….."

Melinda: "…..Well I'm gonna… go now."

Me: "Uh, okay. Talk to you later."

The receiver clicks, and I can hear the dial tone. I end the call on my end, and toss the phone back onto my bed.

That.

Was.

So.

Weird.

I mean, usually I know what to say. But mostly in class. Class is easy because all of the information I can figure out myself.

But with Melinda, I can't figure her out. She's just so…. Different? Morbid? Dark? Mysterious? Ominous? No…..

Something else. And I can't quite put my finger on it. I make it my business to find out.

I know _how_ she got to be like this, and I know _why. _

Now my head is starting to hurt.

I should have kept a log on her throughout the year.

Normal people do that right?

Okay maybe that would be a little creepy…..

I shake my head and head out my room towards the kitchen. I pour myself a glass of water and sit down.

I sit down on my dad's chair, and I was sitting on something. I reach under my butt and pull out today's paper. All of the pages are a bit jumbled up, so I fix them around until they get normal again.

Then I see it. Right on the front page in big black letters.

"**SILENT GIRL SPEAKS; A STORY OF A YEAR LONG SUFFERING FROM A FELLOW STUDENT**"

That was worth a spit take. And that is exactly what I just did.

I'll clean it up later. This thing is more important. I set down my glass of water and take the paper with both my hands.

The first time I read it, I read it rather fast. I have to read it a second time to soak it all in.

Wow. Do I dare to share? I think I do.

"Melinda Sordino, a 9th grader in Merryweather High school, in Syracuse New York, has gone through a tragedy in her life. About one year ago, she was raped by one of her fellow students, Andy Evans. Melinda has been quiet her first high school year. She barely spoke to anyone. Ironically, Melinda's last name, "Sordino", is the Italian word for "mute". Had it been her destiny? Possibly. A coincidence? Also possible. Melinda's grades have dropped, and as for her social life, she was an outcast. We have talked to several students from her school on this subject. The boy, Andy Evans, has been persecuted for rape. He was found trying to assault Melinda again on one of the last days of school. Melinda screamed, broke a nearby mirror and held the glass shard up to his neck. Another student heard the screaming, and Andy Evans was found out. The rest is history. So far, it is hopeful that he would be put away for a long, long time. But, since he is a minor, it is more possible that he will not go to jail. He will most likely be put on probation and has to register as a sex offender. We will have more on this story as it updates. For now, we all send our best wishes to Melinda and her family."

Woah. He only gets off with probation? According to law, that's how it works…

But still! Isn't anyone going to get her a good lawyer? Like the one I had when I had Mr. Neck put on the spot!

This dirtbag raped a fourteen year old. I really wish he was _just_ a few months older. _Then _he would be put in jail.

I wonder if Melinda has read this? Or if her parents did?

Do her parents even know? Is she getting help?

Surely they would be getting phone calls… from neighbors, friends, random passerby or anyone that read this, or heard the rumors at school.

Hey, why don't I remember any rumors of Melinda at school?

It's times like these that I wish I wasn't such a nerdy, awkward boy.

**A/N: Well here we go! That was chapter two! This has taken me a while to write out….. my art duties usually shadow over my writing ones… but I aim to keep going with both! Anyways…. I hope you all like it! I tried to make this chapter a little longer, that's probably why this has taken so long. Plus it took me a bit to work this thing, fanfiction sorta derped out on me, so I apologize if your emails or inboxes derped out on you. Ciao~!**


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